Dodon Names a Prerequisite for Sending NATO Troops to Moldova

The Moldovan authorities can introduce NATO troops into the country if they use the Constitutional Court’s decision, ex-president Igor Dodon said in an interview to RIA Novosti. “In 2016-2017, the Constitutional Court of Moldova issued a ruling according to which the status of neutrality is of no importance at all,” rbc.ru quoted the former president as saying. “It says that if the government finds it necessary to involve some forces to solve its security problems, it can be done despite the neutral status,” Dodon said, noting that the court’s decision is still in force and no one has overturned it. He believes that it would be easier for the Moldovan authorities to appeal to the Constitutional Court than to initiate the procedure of constitutional review (under the Constitution, Moldova has a neutral status), which will take at least six months. Besides, according to the ex-president, the ruling party will not have enough votes in parliament to change the Constitution. In January, Moldova approved an individual cooperation plan with NATO. The country will hold political consultations with NATO countries at all levels on foreign policy and security issues, the situation in the region, and the promotion of reforms. In March, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita stated that the country had no plans to join NATO and that the principle of its neutrality was enshrined in the Constitution. In July, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the Moldovan army was reportedly being equipped with new NATO weapons, including unmanned aerial vehicles. Point